Love and Obsession
by Laney 916
Summary: Stephanie is now a senior at Bayview High School and she and her boyfriend are parents to a baby girl. But someone is not happy with their relationship and threatens to tear them apart. Pairings: Stephanie/OC, D.J/Steve, Jesse/Rebecca, Joey/OC, minor Michelle/Teddy, and Danny/Vicky.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Full House, its characters, or anything else associated with it. I make no money off this story._

_Special thanks to my best friend/twin Krystle for the help & for encouraging me to write this! You rock!_

* * *

**Love and Obsession**

* * *

Summary: Stephanie is now a senior at Bayview High School and she and her boyfriend are parents to a baby girl. But someone is not happy with their relationship and threatens to tear them apart. Pairings: Stephanie/OC, D.J/Steve, Jesse/Rebecca, Joey/OC, minor Michelle/Teddy, and Danny/Vicky.

* * *

Chapter 1

- August 1999 -

Stephanie Tanner was getting ready for the first day of a new school year. She was finally a senior who hoped to go to college to study theater and music. That was until something else changed her life, or some_one_.

_- Flashback -_

_She was a freshman when she met a boy named Joshua Miller who was in her Biology class. The two had been dating for over a year when they were invited to a party by one of their classmates who was one of Josh's best friends. At some point during the party, Josh took Stephanie to one of the other rooms for a little privacy so they could talk. Josh told her he was in love with her and she replied that she loved him too, then he kissed her passionately on the lips. She ran her fingers through his light brown hair as she returned the kiss. They got so caught up in the moment and ended up making love._

_A month or so later, Stephanie didn't feel well and the rest of her family thought she had the flu. Stephanie thought back to what happened at the party and a strong feeling of dread washed over her. _

_'How am I gonna break this news to Dad?' Stephanie thought. 'Oh, no! He's probably gonna disown me when he finds out.' She waited a few weeks, but one night as she was trying to find an outfit to wear for a night out at the Smash Club with the family and her friend Gia, D.J came in and saw her struggling to button a pair of jeans. Stephanie groaned in frustration and raided her drawers for another pair of pants. She eventually found some black leggings and decided to change into a looser shirt to hide the bump that was beginning to form on her belly. D.J noticed though, and she gave her sister a look of shock._

"_You still haven't told Dad, have you?" She asked._

"_Not yet." Steph replied._

"_Well, you should tell him. You won't be able to hide it for much longer."_

"_Yeah, you're right, Deej." Stephanie sighed and adjusted her clothes before moving on to her hair. "I'll tell him tomorrow night at dinner."_

"_Okay."_

_The next night as the family sat down for dinner, Stephanie decided that it was time to come clean. She anxiously shuffled her food around on her plate with a fork for a moment and cleared her throat._

"_Dad, there's something I need to tell you."_

"_What is it, Steph?" Danny asked._

"_I'm pregnant." Everyone dropped their silverware which made a loud clattering sound as they hit the plates._

"_You're what?" Jesse interrogated._

"_I said I'm pregnant."_

"_Steph, I'm very disappointed in you. I thought I raised you girls better than that." Danny scolded._

"_I know. I'm sorry, Dad. You're not gonna disown me, are you?" Tears formed in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks._

"_Honey, I love you. I would never disown you."_

"_Really? You wouldn't?" _

"_No, never. Now what are you planning to do with the baby?"_

"_I don't know. I couldn't get an abortion. I could never kill my own child, no matter what the circumstances and I feel kind of weird about giving it up to a total stranger to raise."_

"_Good points there!" Joey agreed._

"_Steph, whatever you decide to do, Jesse and I support you." Rebecca assured her._

"_I'll babysit for you," Michelle added. "but you're on your own with the diapers, Dude!"_

"_We'll help too." Nicky and Alex chimed in._

"_Me too." D.J said._

"_I'll help as well, but you are finishing school and getting a job to pay for what the baby needs."_

"_You got it, Dad, and thanks so much, guys! I appreciate it." Stephanie smiled gratefully and the family ate their dinner._

_The months passed by and Stephanie and Josh welcomed a baby girl, a little small due to being four weeks early, but healthy. She had her mother's blond hair and blue eyes. Stephanie named her Sadie Pamela Rose Miller in honor of her late mother. Danny was touched by this. He smiled proudly as Stephanie handed him the baby and he leaned toward her to give her a kiss. _

"_Pam, our granddaughter looks just like you. I wish you were here so you could see her." he said softly as he cradled the sleeping newborn in his arms._

_- End flashback -_

Sadie was now a healthy, energetic fifteen month old and the entire family adored her. Her blond hair was slightly darker now and her eyes had changed to brown like her father's.

"Steph! Breakfast!"

"Coming, Dad!" Stephanie got herself dressed and did a quick check in the mirror. She wore a black Guns 'n Roses t-shirt with an unbuttoned black, gray, and white flannel shirt over it, light blue jeans, and a pair of red and white converse sneakers. Her hair was down with a white headband.

She lifted Sadie out of her crib, changed her diaper and dressed her in a white onesie, a pink t-shirt that said 'Mommy's little angel', dark blue jeans, and pink socks and they went downstairs to eat their breakfast.

"Hey, you two." Danny greeted as they came into the kitchen.

"Morning." she replied back.

"Hi Stephie! Hi Sadie!" Rebecca and Jesse's two and a half year old daughter Leah said.

"Hi Leah." Stephanie strapped Sadie into her high chair and helped set the food on the table. She cut up some scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast, blew on it a bit to cool it down, then she filled a sippy cup with milk and put it on the high chair's tray. She took her seat and everyone started fixing their plates.

Sadie giggled as she took some egg into her tiny fists and smashed it in her face.

"Awww, you little stinker!" Stephanie laughed. After she and Sadie finished eating, she took the toddler out of the chair and cleaned her up. She glanced at the microwave clock which read 7:48. "Dad, can you watch Sadie tonight? I have a job interview after school." She asked.

"I thought you already had a job." Michelle said.

"I do, but I'm trying to get a better one. So, Dad, can you?"

"Sure, no problem. Have a great day at school and good luck with that interview."

"Thanks Dad." She blew a kiss and gave Sadie a hug and then grabbed her backpack and left for school.

* * *

- Bayview High School, 20 minutes later -

Stephanie parked her red 1993 Toyota Camry in the student parking lot and walked to her homeroom. She was about to enter the room when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"Hi Josh." She greeted.

"Hey Steph. How have you and our daughter been?"

"We're good. Sadie's getting so big." Josh smiled at the mention of his daughter's name. "How was Germany?"

"That's great. Germany was cool, but I missed you two so much. I know your dad hates me and refuses to let me come over, so would you mind if I took Sadie to the park on Saturday?"

"He doesn't hate you. He's just very protective. He'll come around eventually. But in answer to your question, I was planning on taking her anyway, so why don't we go together?" She offered.

"Yeah, I'd like that. How does 1:00 sound?" But just as Josh is about to answer, the loud sound of the bell rings through the couple's ears.

"Sounds good to me. See you later, Steph."

"Later!" They parted and went to their homerooms. Stephanie grinned happily and she took a seat in the back row next to her best friend Gia.

Meanwhile, someone had been watching Stephanie and Josh from a short distance away, fuming with anger and jealousy at the couple, just waiting for a chance to strike.

* * *

Next chapter coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**Love and Obsession**

Chapter 2

Michelle sat on the couch reading _Green Eggs and Ham_ to Sadie and Leah. Stephanie was at her job interview, but she would be back any time now and Danny and Aunt Becky were in the kitchen discussing things for _Wake up, San Francisco_. Joey was on a dinner date with a friend while Jesse was at Nicky and Alex's football game and D.J was working to pay for a dress for her and Steve's wedding the following Spring.

Leah suddenly snatched the book from Michelle's hands and tore out some of the pages.

"Oh no! Leah, what'd you do that for?" Michelle groaned and smacked a hand against her forehead.

"Book boring." The two year old answered.

"But you didn't have to rip it. You could have told me you wanted to do something else."

"Sorry. Me and Sadie watch Simsims?"

"Sure, kiddo." Michelle found one of the _Simpson's_ video cassettes and put it in the VCR and the two toddlers giggled and clapped their hands in excitement.

* * *

Stephanie walked out to the restaurant parking lot towards her car. As she went to unlock the driver's side door, she heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Hello Stephanie!" She heard someone call out. The voice sounded eery to her, but she couldn't place who this person was. She turned around and came face to face with a teenage girl a bit shorter than herself with crimped bleach blond hair, brown eyes, and slightly tanned skin. Her clothing was revealing, a black miniskirt and hot pink tube top with black boots that went up to her knees.

"Wh-who are you? What do you want?" Stephanie's voice stuttered.

"I'm Karla Gray. I believe you have something that belongs to me." Karla accused.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Stephanie argued back.

"Oh, I think you do. Give Josh back!"

"He doesn't belong to you, Karla!"

"Oh yes, he does. Give him back or you'll be sorry." With that, Karla walked away with a sinister laugh. Stephanie grumbled softly and got in the car. She put the key in the ignition, then made a quick stop at the nearest gas station before driving home.

The ride took less than fifteen minutes and she walked into the house, an exhausted look in her eyes.

"Guys, I'm home!"

"In here, Steph!" Danny called from the kitchen. Stephanie entered the room where her father was cleaning Sadie and Leah's muddy hand prints off the refrigerator. "How did the interview go?" He inquired.

"It went great, Dad. The manager liked me and said she'd give me a call back within a couple days."

"That's wonderful, honey!" He gave her a hug and she returned the gesture, then went up to her room to check on Sadie and have a little playtime with her.

"Hi little one." She said sweetly, sitting down on the floor next to her daughter and pulling her onto her lap. Sadie squealed with delight as Stephanie kissed and tickled her. She squirmed out of her mother's arms and went back to the plastic blocks she was playing with and babbled as she banged two of them together, enjoying the noise they made as they collided. Stephanie reached over and picked up a few blocks and began building a small tower with them. Sadie clapped and tried to imitate, though she had more fun knocking the blocks down.

"Awww, you silly girl!" Stephanie laughed and Sadie smiled and laughed back at her. They played for a while until Jesse called them for dinner, then Stephanie played with Sadie some more, gave her a bath, read her a story, and put her to bed.

* * *

Saturday arrived and Stephanie was getting ready for her, Sadie, and Josh's picnic at the park. She packed a basket of sandwiches, fruit, salad, iced tea, and a few Jell-o pudding cups along with plenty of napkins and plastic silverware and went upstairs to grab Sadie's diaper bag. She put the diaper bag in the bottom compartment of the stroller and strapped Sadie into her seat. She was finishing up with the food basket when she heard a knock on the back door.

"Hey Josh!" She said with a bright, happy smile as she let her boyfriend in.

"Hey, you and Sadie ready to go?" He asked, handing her a bouquet of yellow roses.

"Yeah, I just gotta make sure we have everything and we're good to go." Josh pushed the stroller and Stephanie grabbed the basket and they walked to the park.

When they got there, they found a spot and put the brakes on the stroller, then laid out a large blanket and put the food basket on top of it. Stephanie lifted Sadie out of the stroller and the two adults sat down with their daughter between them.

"Mmm, this is delicious, Steph." Josh complemented as he took a bite of his roast beef, American cheese, and honey mustard sandwich, washing it down with a sip of tea.

"Really? Thanks." She replied with a smile and took a bite of her tuna salad sandwich. She blushed red as Josh leaned toward her and licked the mayonnaise that stuck to her lips and continued to kiss her. "As much as I enjoy this, we have a kid sitting here." Stephanie reminded him as she pulled away.

"You're right! Oops!" He gave her a quick kiss and they laughed it off before going back to their meals. Sadie smiled and reached her arms up at her father to be picked up. Josh happily picked her up and held her in his lap, sharing a bite of his sandwich and salad with her. She made a strange face at the taste of the mustard, causing both adults to chuckle.

"So anyway, have you heard back about the job?" He questioned.

"Yeah, I got it!" She replied excitedly.

"Congratulations! I knew you would get it. We should do something to celebrate."

"You don't have to do that for me, Josh."

"But I want to."

"Okay, what should we do then?"

"Shhh! It's a surprise." He teased.

"Oh, you're so bad!" She said, slapping him playfully on the back.

They finished the food and as they were getting ready to leave, they saw someone familiar walk up to them.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here?"

"Buzz off Karla! We don't have time to deal with you right now. We're busy."

"You know, I don't know what you see in her, Josh. She's nothing but a filthy whore. Why don't you come with me and we'll go do something fun." Stephanie wanted so badly to punch her in the face, but she just held a crying Sadie closer to her protectively.

"You and I are way over and secondly, don't you ever talk that way about Stephanie again!" Josh warned her.

"Ooh, feisty, are we?" She laughed evilly.

"Shut up, damn it! I told you before, I want nothing more to do with you, so get out of here!"

"Fine! I'm leaving." She sighed. Pointing a finger at Stephanie, Karla taunted, "I will get you for this, Tanner! You better watch your back."

"If you do anything to harm her or her family, I will kill you!" Josh threatened. Karla left and Stephanie and Josh stood there, trying to console a still crying Sadie.

"Shhh! It's okay, baby. We won't let that mean old girl do anything to you." The toddler's crying eventually calmed down and she drifted off to sleep. Stephanie put her in the stroller and Josh walked them home. Stephanie invited her boyfriend inside and he accepted and carried Sadie up to bed for her nap.

They checked on her one last time and went back downstairs. They reached the bottom step and saw the front door open and in walked Jesse, Rebecca, Nicky, Alex, and Leah with bags of groceries.

"Hey guys!" Stephanie greeted.

"Hey Steph. When did you get back?" Jesse asked.

"Just a few minutes ago. You need any help?"

"Thanks." Rebecca said gratefully. Stephanie and Josh brought in the rest of the bags and helped Stephanie's uncle and aunt put everything away. "We appreciate the help, you two."

"You're welcome." Stephanie said.

"It was no problem, Mrs. Katsopolis." Josh replied.

"Call me Rebecca, or Becky. No need to be so formal." Rebecca told the young man.

"Josh, Stephanie, do you wanna play Nintendo 64 with us?" Nicky asked as he and Alex came running in with a bunch of game cartridges in their hands.

"Sure, count me in." Josh answered. "What about you, Steph?"

"Yeah, I'm in. What should we play first?"

"Donkey Kong Racing!" Alex shouted.

"Yeah!" Nicky agreed. The four of them set up the game and chose their characters, then started to race.

* * *

_Chapter 3 coming soon! It's almost finished, but the ending is giving me a bit of trouble so I'll get back to it later. The last scene in this chapter was left like that intentionally. The rest is up to your imagination. lol_


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry for taking so long to update this. Writer's block has been kicking my butt, I've been going through a major depression, and I've had a total lack of motivation to do anything. But here's a new chapter, finally!_

* * *

**Love and Obsession**

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

_Rush Hour Renegades, comin' at ya!_

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. You're listening to the Rush Hour Renegades on KLFH FM 95.6! This is Jesse."

"And I'm Joey. The topic of the week is: Making a difference in the community."

"That's right, Joseph! Our guest tonight is a fifth grade teacher at Frasier Street Elementary as well as an accomplished artist who gives free art lessons to underprivileged children. Please welcome Ms. Elise Jacobson!" Jesse and Joey clapped their hands as a tall young woman in her early thirties with wavy, dark brown hair and green eyes, dressed in a simple white blouse and a knee length navy blue skirt that flared out a little, and black dress sandals walked in and sat down in the empty seat.

"Hello, Ms. Jacobson. It's a pleasure to have you on our show." Joey greeted with a smile as Elise shook the guys' hands.

"Thank you. Glad to be here." she replied politely.

Jesse and Joey asked her some questions and Joey couldn't help but stare in amazement at her. He mentally berated himself for staring at her like that, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help falling in love with her.

Her eyes sparkled with delight as she talked about her work as a teacher and community helper, her students, her son, and how she balanced everything. Joey's heart skipped a few beats as she talked. He loved children ever since he moved in all those years ago to help Danny raise his daughters and hoped to have a family of his own someday.

"_Damn, she's so beautiful."_ He thought. _"She's perfect!" _

Then some callers asked their own questions or gave their comments. The show finally wrapped up half an hour later and the guys thanked Elise for joining them, to which she replied with a smile, "My pleasure!"

Jesse left soon after she did, having to take Leah to her dance class. Joey stayed for a moment or two, then he locked up for the night. As he made his way out to the parking lot, he spotted Elise about to get in her car. He mustered up the courage to walk up to her and ask her out.

"Hi." She said shyly as she realized he was right behind her.

"Hi. Are you busy tonight? I was wondering if you'd like to join my family and I for dinner." He offered.

"I appreciate your offer, Mr. Gladstone, but I can't."

"Oh, I understand, and please call me Joey. Maybe another time then?"

"Sorry, but no. I have to go now. Goodbye." Elise said, waving to him as she put the gear shift into 'drive' and then drove away. Joey felt a hint of sadness in her voice, but couldn't quite place it.

He sighed and got in his own car and decided to stop at the grocery store to pick up some things for dinner on the way home.

* * *

D.J was with Steve at his apartment, sitting on the couch and eating pizza while they discussed their ideas for the wedding.

Steve had proposed to her on Memorial Day weekend, during a Tanner family barbecue and she accepted. Everyone was happy for them. They gave the couple gifts; Danny even gave D.J the dress and veil her mother wore when she got married and D.J felt that it was a great way to honor her.

When they broke the news to Steve's parents, they threw them an engagement party at a nice French restaurant. Kimmy Gibbler and her boyfriend Duane went crazy and threw a party for them too, or rather, Kimmy planned it, but Duane just went along with it. D.J still laughed about that.

It's been three months since then and they felt that this was the right time to start making plans.

"When should we have it?" He asked her.

"What about the day before Easter?"

"It's perfect, like you." He replied as he winked an eye at her.

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself." She teased back. He chuckled, then they continued their conversation, talking about some other details, like the colors of the bridesmaids dresses, entertainment, food, and which song they were going to use for their first dance.

"I love you."

"I love you too." They wrapped their arms around each other in a gentle, loving embrace and kissed on the lips. He wanted so badly to make love to her, but they agreed to wait until their honeymoon. They couldn't wait to be married and start a family, but for now they were content with what they had.

* * *

Stephanie and Josh sat at the breakfast bar with Michelle, Nicky, and Alex doing their homework. Sadie was at the kiddy table, joyfully scribbling in her coloring books.

"Stephanie, can you help me with this problem? I don't know how to do it." Michelle glanced up with a questioning face and tapped her pencil on the problem she needed assistance with.

"Sure. Let me see." Michelle handed the workbook over and watched carefully as her sister read the problem aloud and showed her how to solve it. "_My father is four times as old as me. In twenty years, he will only be twice as old as me. How old is my father and how old am I?' _Okay, set up an equation. _X_ is the age of the daughter and _4x _is the age of the father, so the equation should read as _'4x plus 20 equals 2 (x plus 20).'_ Then, multiply the part that's in the parentheses by 2 and you get _'4x plus 20 equals 2x plus 40.'_ Subtract 20 from both sides. You understand it now?"

"Yes, I got it. Thanks."

"No problem! Let me know if you need more help."

"I will." Stephanie, confident that the younger girl could do the rest by herself, went back to her own assignments. Nicky and Alex had finished by now and went out to the back yard to practice for their next football game. Michelle finished a few minutes later and decided to take Sadie outside to watch the twins practice.

Stephanie and Josh remained in the kitchen and finished their homework, then put it in their backpacks. Then he helped her set the table for dinner.

"Would you like to stay?" She asked him.

"Are you sure? Won't that upset your dad?"

"It's okay. I asked him this morning. I mean, he wasn't exactly thrilled about it, but Aunt Becky 'talked' to him until he gave in."

"Then count me in!"

"Great."

Just then, Joey arrived home and set the groceries on the counter, next to the stove. He took a few boxes of spaghetti, a wedge of Parmesan cheese, and several other ingredients out of the bag and with Stephanie and Josh's help, he made meatballs and a homemade spaghetti sauce and cooked the pasta. Stephanie made a salad and grated the Parmesan cheese into a small bowl, while Josh made and sliced up some cheesy garlic bread and by the time everyone else got home, dinner was finished and on the table. Joey called the kids inside and everyone sat down to eat.

The meal was pleasant. Everyone seemed to be enjoying each others' company and the food was a huge hit. Leah excitedly told them that she learned to do a pirouette in dance class, Nicky and Alex talked about their strategies for the game, Michelle asked Danny for permission to go to a school friend's party with Teddy, Denise, Aaron, Derek, and Lisa to which Danny said 'yes, but only if there is adult supervision', and Jesse and Joey teased and laughed about Joey's crush on that woman they interviewed earlier.

An hour later, they were just about finished eating and Danny and Joey remained in the kitchen to load the dishwasher. As the last plate was put into the machine, they heard the telephone ring.

"I'll get it!" They heard Michelle shout. "Joey, it's for you." She said as she handed him the cordless phone that was in the living room.

"Hello?"

"Hi. I'm sorry to bother you this late, but I want to apologize for earlier. I was such a..." A woman's voice on the other end of the line answered, not wanting to say a certain swear word while her son was there. Joey smiled as he heard the child's voice in the background.

"Don't worry about it, Ms. Jacobson. If anyone should apologize, it should be me."

"No, Mr. Gladstone. It wasn't your fault. All you did was stare at me and try to ask me out, but it doesn't excuse me for being so rude."

"Sure it does. I should not have done that. It was very unprofessional of me. Please let me make it up to you. How about you and your son come over on Friday night and I'll order pizza or Chinese, or I can cook something?"

"I don't know. I'd like to, but I just went through a divorce. I'm not ready to start dating again." Her voice lowered a bit as she said the last part.

"I understand what you're going through. My parents are divorced as well."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Eventually, Elise agreed to come over for dinner and after talking a few more minutes, they hung up.

Danny had been watching and listening in the entire time and gave him a disbelieving laugh.

"You tried to pick her up?"

"What, It's only dinner! I'm not asking her on a date."

"Joey, I don't want to see you get hurt." The taller man said. His eyes became sad as he looked at his best friend, then the next moment, he stood there, very deep in thought.

He had run into his ex-fiancee Vicky Larson the other day after nearly six long years. She loved her job in New York, but she missed Danny and the rest of the family and after all this time, she finally realized that she had made a mistake by choosing her job over them and decided to return to San Francisco.

Danny was conflicted too. He still loved Vicky, but his heart still hurt and he wondered if he could ever forgive her for it. A tap on the shoulder by Joey snapped him out of it.

"Thanks Pal. I know. I'll be much more careful this time."

"Good."

"Are you okay, Danny? You look like you just saw a ghost." Danny smiled slightly at Joey's concern and he simply nodded.

* * *

_Hopefully chapter four will be finished sooner, but until then, enjoy this!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Love and Obsession**

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Karla sat in the driver's seat of a beat up black 1992 Honda NSX in the parking lot of an upscale French restaurant called _Café Belle_, a lit marijuana cigarette in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other as she zoomed in through a large window and watched her rival go about her business, waiting and busing tables. Stephanie smiled and greeted her customers warmly and the redhead growled, jealousy and anger burning deeply within her.

_'Stephanie Tanner, I will destroy you and that little brat of yours and then I will get Josh all to myself. I promise.' _A devilish grin formed on her lips.

"What are you grinning about?" A man's voice called to her as the front passenger door slammed shut, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, just a little thing I like to call 'sweet revenge.'"

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. That bitch will never know what hit her."

"Excellent! I have someone I want to get revenge on as well. If you help me, then I'll help you. Do we have a deal, Karla?" He asked. Karla listened intently as he explained his situation and discussed his plans in graphic detail.

"Yes, Mr..." She started. She had met this bald, blue eyed man on a street corner, in a seedy neighborhood on the other side of town the previous night, but couldn't recall him ever telling her his name.

"Ted. Just call me Ted."

"Okay, Ted. You've got yourself a deal!"

Ted placed a stack of bills and a plastic wrapped bundle of marijuana in the glove compartment as he got out of the car.

"This is a down payment. You'll receive the rest when the job is complete." He gave an evil laugh and took off.

* * *

Stephanie's shift ended a few hours later and she collected her earnings and tips for the week and drove home.

"I'm back!"

"Hey, Honey. How's your job going?" Danny asked while rearranging the couch cushions, one of the obsessive-compulsive habits he was still trying to break.

"It's fine, Dad."

"I'm glad to hear that. I put a plate of pork chops on the second shelf in the fridge if you're hungry."

"Thanks. I'll eat after I put Sadie to bed."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Aunt Becky took care of her tonight. You go eat." Stephanie smiled and heated up the plate of pork chops, broccoli, and macaroni and cheese and sat at the breakfast bar to eat it.

She put her plate in the dishwasher, then she went up to her room to do her homework. She had a History paper to write and two tests to study for. Though she was tired, she stayed up until nearly eleven o'clock to finish. She checked on Sadie, who slept peacefully in her crib, and went to bed.

* * *

The next morning, Joey was the first to awaken. Friday was here and he was looking forward to seeing Elise tonight.

_'Eight twenty-five. Nine hours to go.' _He ate breakfast with the rest of the family, then he put on his favorite Popeye t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and white and black tennis shoes and went out to buy food, flowers, and a toy for Elise's six-year-old son.

Joey pushed his shopping cart around the store and as he turned down the frozen desserts aisle, he felt another cart crash into his.

"Oops, I'm sorry." He was certain he recognized the voice, and sure enough, he looked up to see a tall woman with curly auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes checking the items in her cart for damage.

"Vicky Larson? Oh my goodness! Long time no see."

"Yeah, it has. How is everyone?"

"They're great. Danny misses you terribly."

"I understand. I miss him as well. Is he still neurotic when it comes to cleanliness?"

"Oh yeah." They shared a laugh and talked about what had happened since they last saw each other. She was surprised when she learned that Stephanie had a child, but accepted it.

Joey and Vicky paid for their things and Joey helped Vicky load her bags into her car.

"Would you like to come to our house for dinner tonight?" He inquired.

"I'd love to, but is it a good idea? What if Danny doesn't want to talk to me or see me again?" Vicky's forehead wrinkled a little and her stomach was twisting and turning into knots.

"He'll come around. Don't give up on him yet, Vicky."

"I won't, Joey. Thanks for your help. I'll stop over tonight."

"Great. See you later."

* * *

Five-thirty came quickly. Joey made chicken parmesan, green beans, and penne pasta in a light tomato sauce, and an apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert, while Stephanie and Michelle set the table. Josh had arrived and tried to help, but when Stephanie said 'no', he went to play with Sadie.

The doorbell rang again and in walked Elise and her son.

"Hi Elise. Glad you could make it." Joey greeted. "Guys, this is Elise Jacobson, the woman from the radio show."

"Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Stephanie and this is my boyfriend Josh and daughter Sadie." Stephanie introduced as she shook hands with Elise.

"Nice to meet you too. This is my son Matthew."

"Hi Matthew." Nicky greeted. "You wanna play Crash Bandicoot with Alex and I after dinner?"

"Awesome!" Matthew replied, his voice filled with excitement.

Everyone introduced each other, and after Vicky arrived, they sat down at the table.

Elise and Matthew enjoyed being over for dinner and thanked Joey for inviting them. She liked Joey. He was so different from the other men she dated or married. He was sweet, kind, caring, and he knew how to make her and Matthew laugh. She genuinely laughed for the first time in almost eight years, since she married her ex-husband.

"You're so fun to be around. You're hilarious!" She told him.

"Yeah, I am, aren't I?"

"Yes."

Vicky and Danny just looked at each other, barely saying anything except to pass the food around. Jesse and Rebecca kissed and joked with each other, while Stephanie and Josh chatted about work, school, and Sadie. The children ate and talked amongst themselves.

* * *

After dinner, Michelle went to the movie theater with Teddy, Aaron, Denise, Lisa, and Derek, and the children played games in the living room while the adults drank coffee or tea and engaged in an adult conversation. They talked until well after nine o'clock.

"It's getting late. I have to go. It was a pleasure meeting all of you."

"It was a pleasure having you here, Elise." Danny replied as he began to clean up.

"Bye. Matthew, we're leaving!"

"Oh Mom, do I have to?"

"Yes. You have football practice tomorrow."

"Okay Mom." The brown haired, blue eyed child said sadly. He was happy he finally made some friends and tried to beg his mother to let him stay overnight, but Elise replied that he could sleep over another time if Danny didn't have any problem with it. Elise and Matthew said their goodbyes and Elise agreed that they would visit again soon.

* * *

Vicky helped Danny clear the table, but she felt uneasy. The tension was building up and growing thicker. Danny barely spoke a word to her and it worried her.

"Danny, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm better than okay. I'm great." He lied.

"Don't lie to me!" She pressed him.

"When you came back, I was happy, but at the same time, I still feel hurt about what happened all those years ago. I worry that I might not be able to forgive you."

"I understand. I know there's no excuse for what I did. I've regretted it everyday. If you aren't ready to forgive me, it's okay."

"I want to forgive you, but how do I know you won't pack up and leave again when a better job comes along?"

"I won't this time. Family is the most important thing to me. A job means nothing if I have to live the rest of my life alone." Danny smiled. Her tone of voice and direct eye contact as she said this convinced him that she was telling the truth.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Vicky. It means a lot."

"So, what happens now?"

"I don't know yet, but I am willing to try again. I'm still in love with you." They gazed into each others eyes as they tried to fight back their tears.

"I'm still in love with you too, Danny."

"How about we take this nice and slow, alright?"

"You got it!" Danny and Vicky stepped out on the patio, the warm night air blowing gently against their skin.

* * *

_Next chapter soon, I hope. I plan on adding moments with Michelle/Teddy and Kimmy/Duane as well as more moments with Stephanie/Josh, DJ/Steve, Joey/Elise, Jesse/Rebecca, and Danny/Vicky, but I'm not sure where I'm going yet. Suggestions are welcome!_


End file.
